The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You will have to register before you can post or view full size images in the forums.

Rooms In A Castle

Hello Everyone,

Let me apologize if this post is in the wrong area, i am still naive when it comes to forums.

Some of you know i am in the mist of starting the early stages of creating a real-life castle. One of the first things i started was research what type of rooms would be in a castle and what type of rooms are not, and which i would like to add.

The castle will not be as those in England and Rome but it will be a fairly decent size. I don't think having four dining halls is what i am interested in. Simply some unique rooms that i have not listed below. I have organized it by floor, but feel free to simply state a room and maybe even a small description.

These can be unique, they don't have to fit in with the "royal" theme, just nothing too crazy (i.e. "the playboy room"). Anything you think that could be a big asset (Even though the playboy room would be a *pretty* big asset )

I considered it, but to be honest - not really sure what i would put.. a few jail cells? it just seems like a waste of money. Yeah the first time seeing it would be interesting for say, three minutes.. then it would just be an empty room.

The term garderobe describes a place where clothes are stored (wardrobe is a related term), but may also be used for places where other items are stored, or euphemistically for historical toilets.[1]

In European public places, a garderobe denotes the cloakroom, but it may also be an alcove or an armoire. In Danish, Dutch, German, and Spanish garderobe can mean a cloakroom. In Latvian it means checkroom.

In its euphemistic meanings, a garderobe is either a close stool or a medieval or Renaissance lavatory or toilet.[1] In a medieval castle or other building, a garderobe usually was a simple hole discharging to the outside. Such toilets were often placed inside a small chamber, leading by association to the use of the term garderobe to describe them. Depending on the structure of the building, garderobes could lead to cess pits or moats. Many can still be seen in Norman and medieval castles and fortifications. They became obsolete with the introduction of indoor plumbing.

A description of the garderobe at Donegal castle indicates that during the time when the castle garderobe was in use it was believed that ammonia was a disinfectant and that visitor's coats and cloaks were kept in the garderobe. The construction of garderobes was not limited to Britain and Ireland; they were also common in medieval castles on the continent. An example is Bürresheim Castle in Germany, where three garderobes are still visible today.

According to the medieval architecture scholar, Frank Bottomley, garderobes were:

Properly, not a latrine or privy but a small room or large cupboard, usually adjoining the chamber or solar and providing safe-keeping for valuable clothes and other possessions of price: cloth, jewels, spices, plate and money.

This of course, then leads to other things your castle needs, the Midden (Located under where the garderobe was located) with access from the outside so the feces could be easily removed.

Additionally mentioned the SOLAR. Again from Wikipedia:

The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles. In such houses, the main room was known as the Great Hall, in which all parts of the household would eat and live, with those of highest status being at the end, often on a raised dais, and those of lesser status further down the hall. But a need was felt for more privacy to be enjoyed by the head of the household, and, especially, by the senior women of the household. The solar was a room for their particular benefit, in which they could be alone (or sole) and away from the hustle, bustle, noise and smells (including cooking smells) of the Great Hall.

The solar was generally smaller than the Great Hall, because it was not expected to accommodate so many people, but it was a room of comfort and status, and usually included a fireplace and often decorative woodwork or tapestries/wall hangings.

In manor houses of western France, the solar was sometimes a separate tower or pavilion, away from the ground-floor hall and upper hall (great hall) to provide more privacy to the feudal lord and his family.

The etymology of solar is often mistaken for having to do with the sun but this is not so. This misconstrual may result from the common usage of the solar; embroidery, reading, writing, and other generally solitary activities. These activities would need good sunlight, and it is true that most solars were built facing south to take maximum advantage of daylight hours, but that characteristic was neither required nor the source of the name. The source of the word may be related to the French word for 'alone': seul(e), pronounced 'seul','sœl'. The name fell out of use after the sixteenth century and its later equivalent was the drawing room.

When I map castles, the Solar was often located near the top of a castle's tower(s) with large windows to all sides to accommodate the lords & ladies.

Another thing you don't want to overlook is the cellars, which would be more cool and of use in storing the cheeses, meads, and other foodstuffs that needed a slightly cooler darker storage. This would also be the location of the some of the servants sleeping areas and often an additional kitchen as well as the ashpit, located under the main fireplace for the collection of the ash from the great hearth. This ash was neccessary in making Soap (made with Tallow, ash and other items) that was later of use in the daily cleaning.